Humsafar (2011-2012): A great introduction to Pakistani television (on Netflix!)

I’d heard a lot about Pakistani television over the years, its popularity and renown far exceeding its country’s borders. So when I saw that Humsafar (which translates from Urdu to English as Companion) was made available on Netflix, it didn’t take me long to start the series.

The first episode offers a slow start, but it effectively and importantly outlines the characters’ personalities and ambitions, as well as their social, economic and religious backgrounds, key factors in the plot to unfold. Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan lead the cast, the former playing Ashar, a rich and well-educated man from Karachi, and the latter playing Khirad, a poor and less formally educated (although no less intelligent) woman from Hyderabad, Pakistan (not to be confused with Hyderabad, India). In a move eagerly accepted by neither, they marry following the death of Khirad’s mother, and to the great dismay of Ashar’s best friend and secret admirer, Sara.

With the stage set, I settled in for what I thought would be a fairly straightforward story of competing affections, a season defining tension between Ashar, Khirad, and Sara. I was wrong to think so simply. While I won’t ruin the plot, I’ll say that this dynamic is but a small accent to the much more engaging story that evolves. And man was I floored.

Importantly, the plot alone is not enough to justify Humsafar’s fame. Instead, much of that should be credited to its actors. I had heard of Fawad Khan before, as his name started sweeping across India a few years ago, and excitement for the next big Khan (a reference to other famous Khan’s in Indian cinema) boiled over. And let me tell you, this excitement is justified. He is a phenomenal actor. His on-screen emotion is so raw that you feel like you’re supporting a struggling friend, not watching a television show.

Image: Bollywood Hungama

Not to be overshadowed in any way, however, is his co-star, Mahira Khan. Like Fawad Khan, she seamlessly intermingles scenes of joy and difficulty. Khirad, the character she plays, is a strong and intelligent woman and Khan does the role justice with her strong and intelligent acting.

Image: Bollywood Hungama

It should be no surprise that Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan have begun to make their marks on Indian cinema (Fawad Khan stared in Kapoor and Sons (2016) and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016), and Mahira Khan currently stars in Raees (2017), opposite famous Indian actor, Shah Rukh Khan), although recent tensions between India and Pakistan put continuing cross border collaboration into question (at least for now).

All-in-all, Humsafar slowly grips you like a novel (which it is), trailing loose ends in the first half of the series, and then tying you to the screen with them in the second. If this is any indication of the quality of other Pakistani television dramas, I look forward to watching many more in the future.

Title photo source.